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Friend –
The Texas Education Agency recently announced that it will take over Houston ISD, the largest school district in the state. The agency's commissioner, Mike Morath, who was handpicked by Governor Abbott, will replace locally elected school district trustees with a board of managers appointed by, and answerable to, him alone. The ACLU of Texas and partners filed a complaint urging the Department of Justice to intervene on behalf of voters in the hostile takeover of Houston ISD. Whether we live in a big city, suburb, or small town, Texans take pride in deciding who gets to represent and serve our communities as locally elected officials. Personally, as a Houston voter and graduate of Houston ISD, I'm particularly concerned about the agency's actions. In the words of Dr. Audrey Nath, one of the parents represented in our complaint, "The state takeover is insulting to so many Houston voters like me who canvass for candidates we care about and take our local elections seriously. Apparently our choice never mattered in the first place." Let's be clear : This is not about public education but about political control. And it's not only happening in Houston schools. The desire to seize control of Houston ISD, which has an almost entirely Black and brown student body, comes at a time when state politicians are trying to censor what students can read, ban classroom discussions of race and gender, and remove diversity and inclusion from higher education. These same politicians have also launched a much larger campaign to override local elections they can't win and replace leaders they can't control – especially in racially diverse communities. They're targeting school boards, judges, local governments, and more. Right now, lawmakers are debating legislation that advances this anti-democratic agenda. If you haven't already, I encourage you to sign up for alerts as a Legislative Insider to learn more about how you can get involved. My colleagues and I have been working across departments, alongside partners, and with supporters like you to protect our rights. As ACLU of Texas Executive Director Oni K. Blair said at a rally at Chavez High School last week, "We will not let the governor take away our power to vote, our power to select our leaders." Thanks for sticking with us,
Ashley Harris
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ACLU of Texas P.O. Box 8306 Houston, TX 77288 |
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